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What to see and do in Kuala Lumpur

Modernity meets old colonial roots and tradition in the buzzing Malaysian capital city, Kuala Lumpur. While KL is a melting pot of Chinese, Indian, Malay and British cultures, it's also pioneering the cutting-edge of engineering in Southeast Asia. Home to the tallest building in Asia, the Petronas Twin Towers, KL also enjoys a fast growing economy. On the other hand, Chinese markets are still in their full splendour as well as other cultural buildings. The ancient temples that sit comfortably next to immense metal structures that bring the skyline to life prove that KL is a city of contrasts.

Petronas Twin Towers

No visit to the Malaysian capital is complete without seeing the city's famous landmarks known as the Petronas Twin Towers. This 88 storey building offers the best views of the city. You can take a speedy lift to the skybridge, which connects the two towers. At 452 metres, the towers are the world's tallest twin building.

Batu Caves (in photo)

Located in the district of Gombak, north of Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves is a limestone hill home to a series of caves and cave temples. This centennial temple features idols and sculptures of the Hindu faith erected inside the main caves.

While the temple is only a hundred years old, the hollow limestone tower dates back 400 million years, and its caverns, crags and crevices were formed in the prehistoric era.

Get your explorer's mode on and head to the Dark Cave for some amateur spelunking tours or try out some rock crag climbing at the back of the mountain. After climbing 272 steps up to the entrance of caves, you will be rewarded with the impressive sight of stalactites hanging down and the 140 foot golden statue of Hindu deity, Lord Murugan.

Bukit Nana's Rainforest Walk

In the heart of the city, you can explore the jungle that used to make up the whole of what is now known as Kuala Lumpur. Follow the trails through the jungle, wooden board walks and suspended wooden bridges throughout the reserve. This patch still preserves many species and features of the original rainforest.

Located at the base of the towering KL Tower stand, the reserve houses trees that still stand tall, cicadas that buzz all day long and allow you to escape from the noise, hustle and bustle of the city.

Menara KL Tower

Dating back to 1995, the Menara KL Tower is a communications tower that is 421 metres tall, and thus the world's 7th tallest communication tower in the world. You can have dinner that the restaurant in the 360 degree view observation deck, which is at 276 metres. Alternatively, you can visit the small zoo, tourist shops and cascading water pools with fountains located at the bottom of the tower.

Central Market

From clothing to batik, you can find traditional locally made crafts in Central Market. Since its early days in 1888, Central Market is the beating heart of Kuala Lumpur, a prominent landmark in colonial and modern day heritage and plays a crucial role in keeping Malaysian heritage and culture alive. Apart from shopping till you drop, if you visit this market on weekends, you might be able to see a traditional theatre or dance performances.

Masjid Jamek

Conveniently located next to Masjid Jamek LRT station on the Gombak River, Masjid Jamek is one of the oldest mosques in the Malaysian capital, and has been popular since its opening in 1909. If you visit the mosque and are a woman, you need a sarong or large scarf to cover your head, but you can also hire a robe on location. This is a great place to admire real Moorish architecture with its white domes and red-stone intricate archways and minarets.

Petaling Street

Soak in the Chinese culture of Kuala Lumpur in this magnificently decorated street that serves as the threshold into KL's Chinatown. The entrance to Petaling Street is marked by large red and green arches of the Chinese sign which is decorated with splendid lanterns. This buzzing area boasts stalls spread out in an undercover shopping area, displaying all sorts of goods, from designer items to shoes and street food. Whether you intend to shop or not, this area is a must-see, as it also boasts colonial architecture painted in different colours.

Explore KL like a local with Airbnb

Airbnb, the world's leading community-driven hospitality company, has launched “experiences” - a wide variety of tours and events - in Kuala Lumpur. With over 40 handcrafted insider's Experiences courtesy of Airbnb, you can discover this Malaysian city through the eyes of local hosts.

This initiative stems from Malaysia's growing popularity as a global destination, with 137% growth year over year. With this new launch, Kuala Lumpur becomes the first city in Malaysia where Airbnb is not only a platform for home sharing but also offers tours and activities orchestrated by locals to ensure that travellers have the option to see areas and places they wouldn't otherwise know about. Although this programme might be a novelty in Malaysia, there are 60 other destinations around the world where Airbnb's Experiences are already in motion.

Experiences in the Malaysian city is not only designed to make it easier for entrepreneurial locals to share their interests with people from around the world, but it also allows Malaysians to give back to the community by hosting Social Impact Experiences. As Airbnb waives all fees, the entirety of the funds collected from guests goes to whichever charitable organisation the local host picks. Some of this charities include Dapur Jalanan - a soup kitchen that feeds the homeless.

“Travellers are seeking alternative adventures, whether they are travelling alone or with groups of friends or family,” explained Sriram Vaidhya, Head of Trips of Southeast Asia and India at Airbnb. “As well as seeking unique accommodation options, there is the desire among travellers to enjoy their destination through the eyes of a local. Our greatest assets are time and potential and Experiences is a way to unlock that.”

Here are some of the Experiences Airbnb has crafted to maximise your trip as a local:

Waterfall Hiking Day Trip:

This is one of the top-rated experiences Airbnb experiences in Kuala Lumpur. For budget-friendly price, you can join local host Thomas on a day trip to discover one of the city's top attractions. Escape the hustle and bustle of Kuala Lumpur and trek through clear mixed terrain to get to the sheltered summit at 600 meters where you will get to see three beautiful vertical waterfalls. The trek takes place just outside the city in Maya Falls, locally known as Lata Medang. There you'll ascend through trails surrounded with scenic greenery pathway and descend back through the same trail.

From Garden to Skin - Soap Making

Another top activity is this wellness workshop. Local host Yoke King will teach you all there is know about soap making in their yellow cabin, a scrapped shipping container converted into a cosy workspace that leads to a herb garden in the backyard. The workshop will start with a detailed step by step coaching paired with demonstration and hands-on practice for cold process soap making using herbs from their garden.

Live a day as a local Batik painter

With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Local host Colin has amassed a wealth of knowledge concerning the heritage of Malaysia and the history and process of making batik. If you are looking for guidance to create your own masterpiece, he is the right person to assist you. Indeed, during the workshop, his team will guide you to sketch your own design, draw hot wax with a traditional tool and paint dye on the fabric to create your original batik masterpiece.

Magical Kampung Bahru

Born and bred in Kampung Baru - the last Malay enclave in central Kuala Lumpur - Fuad has always been eager to showcase his village to travellers from around the world. Join Feud on a trip to explore Kampung Bahru, learn more about living within the community and the history of the village. Soak in the local culture while sampling delicious local good specialities like nasi lemak, pisang, goreng and karipap.

Documenting Kuala - Untold Narratives

Discover Kuala Lumpur through the eyes of a local photographer, Farhan Iqbal, who has spent numerous hours photographing and documenting the streets. Founder and lead photographer of an initiative called ‘Project Documenting Kuala,' Farhan Iqbal will show you the many unseen aspects of the city while telling you many unheard narratives and secrets of Kuala Lumpur.

Apart from giving you a guided tour of the city, this expert photographer will share some photography tips with you and even take pictures of you.

Where and what to eat in Kuala Lumpur

As Kuala Lumpur is home to Malays, Chinese, Indians and even British expats, Malaysian cuisine is awash with a diversity of flavours and cultural influences. As you visit a different part of the city, the cuisine offer changes, from delectable seafood dishes to barbecued skewers to friend rice and pipping hot bowls of noodles. Other Asian cuisines, particularly Japanese, are also popular in this city.

With some of the best fine dining establishments in Southeast Asia, a varied cuisine, and extremely cheap yet delicious dishes, Kuala Lumpur is a foodie's paradise.

Klang seafood

Get a taste of the local flavour and try delicious seafood in Klang - a nearby port that encompasses some of the best and budget-friendly seafood.

Chilli pan mee at Restoran Super Kitchen

With an explosion of textures and flavours, this Chinese-Malaysian noodle dish is an unmissable local delicacy. It consists of soft noodles topped with fried anchovy, deep fried onions, fresh scallions, crushed peanuts, shredded pork and a poached egg.

Restoran Super Kitchen is the place to try this dish. There you can add as much dry chilli as you like. Then you break the egg yolk and make a sauce that coats the noodles with spices, peanuts and onions.

Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle is known as Kuala Lumpur's commercial, shopping and entertainment hub. There you can find Laksa Shack, a shopping mall, famous for its Malaysian laksa noodles. Go up to the second floor and get your noodles from the famous Assam Laksa.

Curry Laksa at Kam Fatt

Another unmissable place to taste the traditional Malaysian coconut noodle soup is Kam Fatt, which is only open for breakfast and lunch.

Upon choosing either egg noodles, flat rice noodles, vermicelli or a combination of those, the noodles get smothered in a think gravy and served with boiled Hainan-style chicken, fried tofu puffs, bean sprouts, cockles and green beans. As final touch, the noodles get seasoned with a squeeze of fresh lime and extra chilli sauce.

Brickfields

Alternatively, if you are eager to get your hands dirty and ditch plates and utensils altogether, head to Bricksfields - also known as Little India. The area is famous for its banana leaf food - a set meal which consists of rice, a crispy papadum and a choice of curries and chutney that are served on a banana leaf. You can also add chicken, beef, fish or vegetable curry to the meal. The best way to end the meal is with a traditional banana or mango lassi - a yogurt-based drink that originates in the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan. This sweet and cooling drink, somewhat similar to a smoothie, tempers down the heat of the spicy curry.

Head to Keveri, an open fronted restaurant, to try all things South Indian, which include meat and vegetarian dishes. Most dishes are served on the famous banana leaf, which makes it feel more authentic.

If you are curious to see Little India but not eager to try curries, the area also has a western fast food chain and it is famous for its Chinese coffee shops.

Afternoon tea

If you have a sweet tooth, head to Merdaka Square - famous for the predominance of colonial buildings - where you can indulge in a traditional English afternoon tea. One place to try it would be the Carcosa Seri Negara Hotel in the Lake Gardens. Surrounded by lush greenery, the colonial hotel is perfect for relaxing. If you go there between 3pm and 6pm, you will be able to try their special afternoon tea, which includes finger sandwiches, cakes and pastries, serve in white china and cakes on a large cake stand.

Japanese food

You might be in Malaysia, but might not stop you from craving some succulent Japanese good. If that happens, you should head to Wasabi Bistro in KLCC. Although their inventive sushi rolls are to die-for, don't miss out on their Udon - hot thick wheat flour noodles with soy sauce and Ugani sets - dishes with fresh water eel. Their lunches are very popular during the week, so be sure to book ahead of time.

Chinese food in Bunkit Bintang

If you are lusting after some Chinese food, instead, opt for Bunkit Bintang, one of the best Chinese restaurants in Kuala Lumpur. Despite being a reputable restaurant, Bukit Bintang is relatively cheap, although its speciality dishes are a bit more expensive. Make sure you book in advance if you want to try their speciality dishes, which include the ‘Har Lok' - prawns cooked in soy sauce - or the beef brisket in clay pot.

Malaysia Travel Tips

Malaysia is a multicultural and traveller-friendly Southeast Asian destination, with a good mix of touristic activities, ranging from scuba diving to remote island getaways, orang-utan spotting, fascinating tribal longhouse villages and even a heli lounge bar in Kuala Lumpur.

Home to a myriad of cultural identities that speak different languages, the society of Malaysia has been described as “Asia in miniature.” With a mix of Malays with the Chinese and Indian cultures, and an addition of Persian, Arabic, and British, the cultures of Malaysia are as varied as its wildlife.

Highlightsl; If you visit Malaysia, there are certain activities you shouldn't miss out on.

- Head to Sarawak, Borneo, and explore Malaysia's tribal world. There you can soak in Malays' tribal culture and tradition and even meet the locals in a tribal longhouse.

- Dive into the underwater world of Sipadan - Malaysia's only oceanic island situated in the Celebes Seas off the east coast of Borneo. Renown as one of the world's best dive spots, Sipadan Island was morphed and brought to life by coral growing on top of an extinct underwater volcano cone. As you explore its underwater world, you'll get to see some of the 3000 fish species along with the different corals that make Sipadan one of the richest marine habitats in the world. There you'll be able to swim with green and hawksbill turtles, spot sharks, barracuda, bumphead parrotfish, and even whale sharks if you are lucky.

- Some of Malaysia's wonder are out there in the open for everyone to see, so hire a car and explore the Peninsular Malaysia at your leisure.

- If you are up for a challenge, climb Mt Kinabalu, Borneo's highest peak. 20th most prominent mountain in the world by topographic prominence, Mount Kinabaly has been granted UNESCO World Heritage status. If you enjoy outdoor activities but prefer a less challenging quest, go hiking around the tea plantations of the Cameron Highlands.

- You can't leave Malaysia before trying Perenakan cuisine and roaming the colonial streets of Penang. You should also head to the Hawker markets to try a variety of succulent dishes. Order scrumptious treats from the numerous stalls that circle the central eating area and then take them to your table and dig in.

Customs and Etiquette

Given the country's diversity, it's important to know its etiquette and customs. As Kuala Lumpur is a multicultural city, there is a high level of tolerance for foreign rules and etiquette. Even so, it is important to avoid displays of public affection, as it is frowned upon between all couples, whether they are married or not.

Like other Buddhist countries, it is important to take your shoes off before entering a temple. It's also customary to do so when you enter a private residence.

While alcohol is not welcome in Muslim society, it is still widely available as the country welcomes people from all walks of life.

Try to eat with your right hand only, particularly outside urban areas. This rule applies specially in the conservative Muslim north where you have to dress respectfully, which means you need to cover shoulders and legs.

Money

The local currency is the Malaysian ringgit (MYR). If you didn't get a chance to exchange currency prior travelling, there are many opportunities to do so in Kuala Lumpur. You'll get a more favourable exchange rate with moneychangers in local shopping areas rather those in banks, hotels or the airport.

You'll need to carry cash to buy goods from local markets, although there are plenty of ATMs around if you are in Kuala Lumpur. Meanwhile, international restaurants, department stores, and upscale boutiques generally accept credit card payments.

Although tipping isn't necessary, it is appreciated by waiters and taxi drivers.

Weather

Probably one of the reason you are visiting Malaysia in the first place, it is a warm country all year round. Nonetheless, it is also humid, therefore it is crucial to stay well hydrated and take a break from the heat in shopping malls or museums.

The rainy seasons go from March to April and from September to November. Travelling during these months is still advisable as it is slightly cooler. Whether you travel during the months rainfall peaks or not, it is practical to always carry an umbrella as occasional downpours are likely to happen all year round.

Yuna: Malaysia impossible to categorise pop star

Yuna is one of Malaysia's most popular and famous singers and songwriters. A true icon of the country's pop scene, her triumphant career is a testament to her tenacity and talent.

Born Yunalis Mat Zara'ai in 1986, Yuna has been involved in music since the age of 14 when she wrote her first song. By 19 she was performing in front of crowds, playing her soulful acoustic numbers to rapt audiences. Her initial following in her home country was built upon her success on MySpace, where she uploaded her own, self produced recordings and promoted herself tirelessly. This would foreshadow the skills she has since shown as a canny businesswomen later in her career.

Her breakthrough Malaysian hit was Deeper Conversation, the lead track from her self-titled debut EP from 2009.

The big international discovery for Yuna came in 2011 when she was signed by the American labels Indie-Pop and FADER. Her debut US EP, Decorate, was released that March.

Her big breakthrough single, Live for Your Life, hit iTunes in January 2012. Produced by Pharrell Williams, it was brilliantly polished piece of pop that took Yuna's sweet vocals up to the next level. Her debut album came three months later, to mass critical acclaim. Quickly, Yuna began to garner a committed and fanatical fan base across the globe but particularly in her native South East Asia.

Since then, she has released three more international long players, Yuna (2012), Sixth Street (2013) and Nocturnal (2013).

Yuna's style is somewhat difficult to catagorise. On her original MySpace profile she called wryly described herself as a ‘cross between Mary Poppins and Coldplay', and it is a claim that has haunted her every since. Now, almost seven years later, people still quote it back to her when asking her about her influences. In reality, it shows how hard it is to put Yuna in a single box, as her musical palette tastes of everything from 70s rock to Garbage to Bob Dylan.

As well her musical accomplishments, Yuna is also a successful businesswoman, with her own line of clothing boutiques called IAMJETFUELshop.

Traditional Malay instruments

Malaysia is a country with a rich musical history. While all genres of music are popular in the country, the traditional Malay sound continues to be popular. If you are interested in learning more about it, here are the most common instruments used in traditional Malaysian music.

Harmonium

The Harmonium was first played in Britain, though it migrated to India in the days of the Commonwealth. The Malays began to use it as part of their ghazal poetic performances.

Rebab

If you are listening to a piece of rhythmic Malaysian trad and you hear a sweet, pulled melody running through it, chances are it comes from a rebab, which is one of the most popular bowed lute in the Malaysian trad family.

Angklung

This comprises two bamboo tubes that have been attached to a larger bamboo frame. Each one is tuned to octaves and the player strikes them in turn to create a haunting, resonant sound.

Kompang

You'll see this percussion instrument being played in large ensembles, often to accompany choral singers at traditional ceremonies such as weddings.

Gamelan

Another percussion instrument, the Gamelan is made of brass, giving a deep, metallic drum pop sound.

Seruling

The Seruling is argued by some to be the earliest known instrument in Malaysian culture. It's a bamboo flute popular amongst Malay tribes from the jungle regions.

Gong

You've probably seen these before – a huge hanging brass tray that is hit by the player to create a resounding, echoing percussion sound from its centre.

Marwas

The Zapin dance is a very popular dance you will see in both Malaysia and Indonesia. Accompanying the dancers movements is likely to be a Marwas player, who will strike the instrument with one hand while the performers move.

Serunai

This wind instrument is made out of wood with seven holes in the upper part and a single hole one the other end. It is often played to accompany dances and martial arts performances.

Gendang

The Gendang is another Malaysian drum. Made out of buffalo and cow hides, it is slapped on both ends.

Gambus

This another member of the lute family, played in both zapin and ghazal performances.

The Malaysian hip hop scene

Hip hop is amongst the many genres of music that is followed with great fervour in Malaysia. It is not just Western exports like 50 Cent or Kanye West, however, that Malaysian rap fans enjoy. Since the early 1990s successive generations of home-grown rap acts have been bringing their own distinctly South East Asian flavour to the music.

The scene began with acts such as 4U2C, NICO and, particularly, KRU, who went on to found one of Malaysia's most famous labels and studios. Today, everything from albums to movies to books comes out under the KRU Studios label. Though influential, none of these bands quite made the mainstream breakthrough that hip hop needed in the country.

The real breakout rap group in Malaysia was Krash Krozz, who added a more RnB-ish flavour to the mix, something akin the New Jack Swing sound spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle in late-80s America. Krash Krozz had some success with their debut LP but fell away and disbanded soon after.

Though they were successful and very influential, Krash Krozz's fate speaks volumes about Malaysian hip hop in the 90s. In a country in love with rock, pop and traditional music, trying to convince people to dig rap was not an easy task.

The game-changing moment came in 1995 when an album called It's a Nice Day to be Alive hit the shelves. The debut LP from a young underground hip hop collective called Poetic Ammo, it packed a raw, hard edged sound that was the polar opposite of the more poppy attempts at rap that had proceeded it. It was a runaway success, making superstars of the groups four members: Yogi B, Point Blanc, Landslyde and C Loco.

Poetic Ammo's success paved the way for more Malaysian hip hop artists to get mainstream attention. Perhaps the most notable of all was Too Phat, the Kuala Lumpur duo whose first single Lil Fingaz was put on steady rotation on Malaysian radio throughout 1999.

Thanks to Too Phat, Poetic Ammo, KRU and Krash Krozz, rap music is now a part of Malaysia's pop music scene. Things have certainly come a long way since the early 90s.

The dazzling career of Malay jazzman Aubrey Suwito

A Malaysian pianist, songwriter and producer, Aubrey Suwito has been involved in the music industry since the tender age of six. That was when he first put his hands on a piano's keyboards and thoughts himself a few chords. It was the beginning of an extraordinary journey that would see Suwito rise right to the top of the South East Asian music scene, becoming musical director of Malaysian Idol and being awarded multiple times for his incredible contribution.

Suwito's gifts were apparent from early on in his life and so it was no surprise that he crossed the Atlantic and enrolled in the Berkeley School of Music in Boston in 1991. The most formative part of his education was his first exposure to the rich history of American jazz music, which would inform his song writing from that time on. He took a job at a recording studio after graduation and, quite quickly, his talents were noticed.

He began writing and producing songs for a diverse string of popular musicians, most notably Jaclyn Victor for whom he wrote the award winning smash Gemilang. As well as the work he has done for others, Suwito also boasts an impressive discography of his own LPs. His first album, One Busy Street was originally released in 2000 and fused his own Malay musical heritage with his love of Jazz and other American styles. It is a real treat for anybody interested in world music, as it brings together diverse elements of sound from different cultures to create a new and enticing audio palette. His second album, Christmas with Friends from 2010 was the sister recording for a fundraising concert he and his wife put on to help musicians in need of medical assistance. A jaunty though captivating collection of traditional Christmas hits given a jazzy spin, it packs some truly spectacular moments, including a superb rendition of O Holy Night.

A recent album is Home, released in 2011 and this is perhaps Suwito's most clear attempt to make a fuse Malaysian and American music to form a new sound yet. Typically, Malaysian rhythms play below jazz riffs before, occasionally, breaking into Asian pop melody. For anybody interested in Malay music, Aubrey Suwito is a must-listen. More on crankymusic.

SingleTrackMind: a star of sport and music

Though you might not know the name Alex Wong, if you have any interest in Malaysian music you will most certainly have heard of SingleTrackMind, Wong's stage name. Under this guise her has a released a string of very successful independent rock hits, plus two acclaimed albums.

Before taking to the stage as SingleTrackMind, however, Wong first established himself as one of Malaysia's most successful jet skiers. After debuting as a professional jet skier under the Wong's Way Racing banner in 1987, he went on to take numerous championships including the Dhanabalan Cup in Singapore in 1991, the 1994 Phillipine Championship, three Malaysian Championships in 1995, 1996 and 1998, a Korean title in 1995, an Australian championship in 1996 and the coveted Asia Pacific King's Cup in 1998.

Though he had an extraordinary and acclaimed career as a jet skier, Wong felt distracted by music and wanted to expand his brand into independent pop. Taking the name SingleTrackMind, he made his first live performance at the Rock the World 3 festival in Kuala Lumpur in 2002, before releasing his first album the following year. Titled No Reason, it instantly grabbed critical acclaim from the local critics, earning Wong three nominations at the 2004 AIM music awards, including Best Music Video, Best Engineered Album and Best New Local English Artist.

At this time, Wong was still signed to Jet Ski banner Petronas Jet Sport but quit jet skiing for good after the World King's Cup Watercross in Thailand in 2006. Throughout this period, Wong was hitting the stages across Asia, performing to crowds in China, Thailand, Phillipines and Singapore.

SingleTrackMind's second album was 2007's [hey.], most famous for containing Wong's recording of One Day, a popular Indonesian song re-interpreted in English. It also featured Seventeen (God at the Beach), which was a heartfelt ode to a friend of Wong's who had recently passed away suddenly. The album was recorded in LA.

Alex Wong has certainly had an amazing career. Few people could possibly make a successful move from professional sports to pop music, but he did it with remarkable confidence and certainty.

Punk rock in Malaysia

For much of the last 30 years, Malaysia has been crazy about rock music. A country where the kids like it loud, it is one of the big global powerhouses of the hardcore punk rock scene. Of all Malaysian cities, Terengganu is known as the heart of Malay rock. Though known as a socially conservative little town, Terengganu has been the home of many of the most extreme and revolutionary voices in Malaysian punk.

In 1986, a band called Malaria formed in Terengganu. They played rapid, rabid crossover trash music. They recorded one single demo, with just four songs on it, and then disbanded but the influence of that roughhewn demo and their fearsome reputation as a cut throat live act permeated across the country, from coast to coast.

Throughout the early 90s punk continued to buzz along as an underground scene, though by this time it had migrated to Kuala Lumpur. While punk was still miles from the mainstream, many bands who would go on to large-scale success were forming and playing in KL at this time: Carburetor Dung, Formation Bee, Stoink and Mechanical Baby amongst them.

At the same time, other bands began adopting the style of the British Oi-scene, like ACAB, The Official and Roots n Boots.

In the mid-90s the punk finally began to make inroads into the popular Malaysian culture. Many of those aforementioned acts became well known at this time as the sheer popularity of the scene amongst the urban youth forced it into the reluctant mainstream.

One major recent trend is for bands to sing in their native Malaysian tongue, as opposed to the English of their British and American influences. Nowadays the scene thrives, with hugely successful acts such as OAG, Estranged, Pop Shuvit and Bunkface. These acts adopted a style that was both more poppy and more Malaysian.

As well as being successful in their home country, these acts have also made international splashes, in countries like Japan, Indonesia and Singapore. In Indonesia, particularly, Malay punk rock is considered to be a huge influence on the local scene and local youth culture.